Pumpkin brownies

So with Fall upon us I am in the baking mood however not wanting to kill my diet i have been looking for yummy recipes i can modify to meet my calorie and sweet tooth. This recipe i got from realmomkitchen.com and I love it. I have only made a few changes but did include the nutritional information at the bottom



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used salted)
1 cup Truvia or Splenda
1/4 cup suag
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips- I used 10 tbsp and that is what i calculated the recipe with


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

Nutritional information
calories-128.6
fat- 7.3
cholesterol-6.8
sodium-236.1
carbs-14.8
fiber-.6
sugar- 5.8
protein 1.8

Stuffed Green Pepper soup

I am the only person in my house who likes green peppers however I could eat them daily. therefore I do not make stuffed peppers rather I make it into a yummy soup. Now with HCG I am sure this could work with phase 2 but it would need to be modified. I love this recipe. I always make a double batch and eat it work weeks. Now with traditional green papers you would add rice however since the HCG is all about cutting out carbs I used miracle rice and it is perfect in this recipe. Again this is a double batch.

Stuffed pepper soup
1/2 pound ground beef
3 green pepper diced
2 cans mushrooms(I use the big cans)
1 can peitie diced tomatoes
1 bottle V8 juice

1. Brown the ground beef and drain all the fat off.
2. While that is cooking diced the peppers into sizes that you like. I used both small and big pieces
3. In the crockpot mix the tomatoes, mushrooms and v8 juice together and add any seasonings you like. Add the peppers and ground beef. Stir Well.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours

Calories- 108 for 1 cup

Vegged out potato salad

I found this super yummy and easy recipe in Hungry Girls 300 under 300. I love this recipe, however I have modified it to fit what I eat. I have also included the calorie count. This will be great on phase 3 of the HCG diet

Vegged out potato Salad- hungry girl

1 pound small potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup celery-chopped
1/2 cucumber- chopped


Dressing
1/4 cup FF mayo
1/4 Cup FF sour cream
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp relish
salt

in a large pot of boiling water and let cook roughly 10-12 our until soft. Drain and add to a boil.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well

once cool add the remaining salad veggies and add dressing and lightly toss.

Refrigerate for one hour(I do it for at least a day)

Calories-58.3
Total fat 2.5
cholesterol-5
sodium- 116.8
Carbs-6.8
fiber.4
sugar-1.5
protein-1.5

HCG Chili

SO last week I made the chili in the book and I did not like it one bit. I think it had to do with the fact I hate cooked tomatoes. Tonight I had an idea that I got from making the tomato soup. I pureed the tomatoes and add salsa and oh my word it is awesome. So without few adieu the yummy HCG Chili

Hcg Chili
1 large tomato
100 g group beef
2 -4 tbsp slasa
2/3 cup water
miracle noodles(optional)

Broil the tomato for about 10 minutes. Make sure the tomato is cut in half.
While the tomato is cooking brown the meat.
When the tomato is done peel the skin and puree in the blender.
Add the tomato, water and salsa plus spices- garlic powder, onion powder chili pepper
Let simmer about 10 minutes and add the noodles if using and let simmer for additional 3 minutes or so.

Super yummy and super easy

1 protein and 1 veggie

Miracle Noodles

So all over the HCGDIET Facebook account is the talk of miracle which have no calories, no carbs n sugar and no fast. However i was skeptical because of the amount of money they cost and they have a fishy smell however hafted struggling with my meat aspect of this diet I bit the bullet and got 12 bags for 34 dollars including free shipping. Now I admit they do smell fishy however after reading to wash them out for about 5 minutes I learned that the smell goes away.

Tonight I made a super yummy chick(recipe to follow) and put them in my chili. I am actually having a hard time finishing one bowl. This weekend i WILL be using the rice to make unstuffed pepper soup and I have a ton more recipes to share.

I would say if you are doing the HCG diet these noodles are truly a miracle.

HCG Recipe

So as my struggle with food has gotten rough these last few days, today I started craving soup. However most soups are made with a ton of fat ad sugar. So to mr. Google I go. I found this yummy recipe fro Tomato soup HCG style and while i modified some the basic recipe is the same. It was so freaking good i may go get some more tomatoes and make up several batches for this week. I will also be experimenting with a chicken and broccoli mock stir fry tonight. If I like it I will post it.

HCG Tomato Soup
1 tomato
1/4 cup water
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper
cayenne

To Make

Turn you oven on to broil
Take the tomato cut in half and lay it down cut side down
Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes
while the tomato is cooking combine the water garlic powder, onion powder and salt and paper and let simmer about 5 minutes.
When the tomato is done peel the skin off
Put the tomato in the blender until smooth and mix into the water mixture add as much cayenne as you would like
Let simmer about 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy.

Super yummy and super easy

Tater Beef Bake

So I found this recipe in the taste of home ground beef edition. I did not think my husband would like this becasue he does not like sloppy joes but he did like it and saud that he would eat it once a month. My kids loved this of course and I have to say it was pretty good. I did have to modify it a because it had veggies in it. I calculated the nutiroal information at sparkpeople.com

Tater Beef Bake

1 lb pound ground beef
1 cup water
2 envelopes sloppy joe mix
1 can tomato sauce
27 tater tots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in water and sauce mix. bring to a boil. Reduce heat: simmer, uncovered for 3-5 minutes. add tomato sauce; stir until blended.

Transfer to a greased 13 x9 baking dish. Top with tater tots, baked uncovered 350 for 30 minutes. sprinkle with cheese and heat another 5 minutes.

Nutrional infromation- 6 servings half cup

Caloires- 259
fat-13.3
cholesterol-52.
sodium 696.7
Carbs15.3
fiber 1.1
protein 18.2

Crab Salad

SO I love seafood, however my hubby is not a big fan of it so I have to make it in small batches. I saw this recipe online but I modified it to my taste. Again all nutritional information is from SparkPEOPLE.COM

Crab Salad- MAKE 4 1/4 CUP SERVING

8 oz imitation crab meat
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 celery stalk sliced thin
2 tbsp Low fat mayo
salt pepper and old bay seasoning

chopped all the ingredients including the crab. Mix together, let sit in the refrigerator at least 2 hours(overnight would be better).

Nutritional Information
Calories 73.6
Fat- 1.8
Cholesterol-3.1
sodium-358.4
carbs- 10.7
fiber- .5
sugar-2.2
fiber- 5.3

Pictures and a Reciepe

1/22/2011- Roughly 191



1/22/2011- Roughly 191- Side View

Here are some newer pictures of me and my current weight loss journey. I will update the pictures once I lose 20 pounds

Now for the recipe, I know everyone has a chicken noodle recipe however I went on the search for a recipe that would be good and low in calories. This soup was so good that my kids even ate it vegetables and all

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 pieces of chicken
4 celery stalks, dice
4 medium carrots, diced
2 cup noodles, these were not cooked,
4 cups water
1 can broth
2 bouillon cubes and 2 cups water
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and minced onion

I prepared the the bouillon about an hour earlier wit the 2 cups of water. Then I used frozen chicken and boiled in it water with onion, garlic for about 30 minutes. Let the chicken cool and cut into pieces. In a large pot add the chicken broth, chicken bouillon, and 4 cups water, carrots, celery, garlic powder, onion powder, minced onion, with a little bit of salt and pepper. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes then add chicken. While this is cooking cook the noodles for about 8 minutes. When finsihed ad the noodles and water together in the large pot and let simmer 10 minutes. Let cook a few minutes and enjoy.

Nutritional information- Servings 8, Serving size 1 cup.

Calories- 102.5
Total Fat- .7
sodium- 420.6
Potassium- 250.4
Total carbs- 14.7
Fiber- 1.9
sugar- 2.6
protein-8.8

Healthy Meatballs

So the only way I can get my husband to eat spaghetti is if it has meatballs in however have you ever looked at the price of a bag of meatballs, they are not cheap and do not always have the best ingredients. So for this weekend I went looking through my hundreds of cookbooks and found this recipe. This recipe I made with turkey and hamburger. Next time I won't use the parsley in the turkey recipe. I did not use it in the hamburger meatballs. Also I did cook these longer about 15 -20 minutes. Also the nutritional information will be at the bottom. These freeze well.

Turkey Meatballs
olive oil spray
2 egg whites
1/2 c quick cooking oats
1/4 c ff milk
1/2 c fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced onion- I used onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2/tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp salt
1 pound ground turkey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with spray.

In a medium bowl, using a fork mix together the egg whites, oats and milk until well combined. Add the parsley, onion, oregano, garlic and salt until well combined. Mix in the beef until well combined.

Make 32 ( I got 36) uniform meatballs, each 1 1/4 diameter. Roll the balls with your hands and arrange, not touching on the prepared baking dish. Bake 7-10 minutes. I baked for 15-20 minutes.

Nutritional Information- per one meatball
Calories-29.6
Total Fat-1.2
cholesterol- 11.3
sodium-15
Total Carbs- .8
Fiber-.1
Protein-3.4


Hamburger Meatballs
olive oil spray
2 egg whites
1/2 c quick cooking oats
1/4 c ff milk
1/2 c fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced onion- I used onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2/tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp salt
1 pound ground turkey

Same directions as above

Nutritional Information- per one meatball
Calories-50.9
Total Fa-3.6
cholesterol- 11.3
sodium-14.9
Total Carbs- 1.1
Fiber-1
Protein-3.7

Ham and cheese sliders

I have a hard time finding recipes that I will eat and that my husband will eat without complaining. These sandwiches have been all over several blogs and after much time I deiced today was the day to make them. I am not sure what calorie content would be in a regular recipe, how I did modify mine some and then figure the calories out at Sparkrecipes.com. I do have to say that my hubby took one bit and said they were yummy. My kids not like them because of the poppy seeds but they were so good. I did have 3 but the last one I jut atethe bread. Ham is not my favorite thing and I can only handle in small doses. However this recipe could be changed by the different meats you use. I did change up the cheese this time from Swiss(not a fan) to provolone. The original recipe is below, my changes are in parenthesis

Ham and Cheese Sliders-


24 good white dinner rolls( 12 rolls_
24 pieces good honey ham ( 2 pieces per roll of sandwich ham)
24 small slices Swiss cheese ( half a slice of cheese per roll- only used 6 slices)
1/3 cup mayonnaise ( I used lite)
1/3 cup miracle whip (did not use)

Poppy seed sauce (you probably could half this...I had plenty extra)
1 T poppyseeds
1 1/2 T yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted (only used 4 tbsp)
1 T minced onion (did not use)
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


Nutritional information from sparkpeople- Per one roll

Calories- 208
Total Fat-10
Cholesterol- 370
sodium- 538.8
Total Carbs- 19.6
Fiber-1
sugar 3.8
protein-9.9

Zucchini Pizza Bites

So I have a confession, I don't like pizza, the only time I really want to eat it is when I am craving pizza. However I saw this recipe on one of the many blogs that I visit( not sure which one. These caught my eye becasue I love zucchini and I have some tomato sauce in my refirgartor. These recipes would be could serve as a appietezer. Plus thye are low calorie but high in protein which I always have a hard time eating. SO without further ado here is the simple but yummy recipe.

Zucchini Pizza Bite
4 slices large zucchini 1/4 inch thick
2 tbsp pizza bite
1/4 cup mozzarella

Cut zucchini about 1/4 inch thich. Spry both sides with cookign spray,and season with salt and pepper. Broil or grill about 2 minutes on each side. I would say do it about 3 minutes. Top with sauce and chesse and cook for an addiitonal minute. I have to say that I broiled it for about 3 minutes I think next time I will cook for about 5 minutes to make the cheese a little bit crunchy.

Serving Size- 4 slices
Calories 124.8
Fat-5.7
protein-8.2

Refried Bean Chili

I love chili but I have to be careful how I make it because my picky hubby only eats certain things. However I am always on the lookout fir a new chili recipe. This recipe caught my eye because it uses refried beans. I never saw a recipe using these type of beans but oh my goodness I have to say I love this recipe. I also have a litte bit leftover for my lunch tomorrow. This recipe can be found on page 121 of the Better Homes and Garde Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes.

Refried Bean Chili- all my changes will be in quotes
2 pounds ground beef - "1/2 pound hamburger, 1/2 pound ground turkey"
1 cup chopped onion- "did not use"
2 15oz chili beans with chili gravy- " 1 can black beans drained"
1 16 oz jar salsa- " i used 1/4 cup salsa and added diced tomatoes"
1 16 oz can refried beans
1 12 oz can beer or 1 can beef broth
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp lime juice "did not use"

In a large skillet cook beef and onion until meet is brown . Drain off fat.

In a 5-6 qt crockpot place the beef mixture, beans, salsa, refried beans, beer/broth, chili powder and cumin. Cover cook on low 6-8 hour or on high for 3- 4 hours

To serve ladle chili into bowls

Nutrition
Serve 8-10 1 cup servings- Orignal recipe no my modified

Caloires- 482
fat -22
cholesterol-86
sodium-960
carbs-36
fiber- 10
protein-30

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

So I love chicken pot pie however have you ever looked at the back of a chicken pot pie box, there is 550 calories or more per servings and there is 2 servings in a box. However I saw this recipe over at skinnytaste.com for chicken pot pie soup which has everything but the crust but you can add bread if you want. I decided to try my hand at this recipe and all I have to say is yummo. I did change it up a tiny bit but you can find the original over at skinnytaste.com

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1/4 cup Flour
2 cups water
4 cup lowfat milk
1 large celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 chicken bouillons
pepper
Thyme-pinch of
10 oz frozen veggies- I used 16 oz
2 potatoes peeled and cubed- I used small ones
2 pieces of chicken, cooked and diced small
salt

Create a slurry by combining flour and 1/2 c cold water. Set aside
Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, chicken bouillions, thyme pepper, and frozen veggie, return to a boil, partially cover the pot and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove lid add potatoes and chicken and simmer additional 10 minutes. Then add the slurry and stir while adding (soup will thicken). Cook additional 2-3 minutes. Serve.

Serving Size- 1 cup
Calories- 169.2
Fat-1.2
protein- 18.5
Fiber-2.3

Serving Size- 1 1/2 cup
Calories- 253.8
Fat-1.8
protein-27.7
fiber- 3.5

Breakfast Recipe

SO like I said in the previous post I have a hard time with foods for breakfast. Part of it is that I don't like cereal or oatmeal and like recipes that are hot. However I am so not a morning person even though I get up at 6. However yesterday I made the following recipe for lunch(woke up at 10:30). I have to say it was good but I think i would use less eggs and more salsa. I love salsa. Another good thing about this recipe is that it is a WW recipe. I did not use FF tortillas but even with the recipe was maybe 250-300. Great recipe.

4 Points Per Serving



1 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese (such as Sargento Light Shredded Cheese)

2 (10-inch) fat-free flour tortillas, warmed

1/4 cup salsa



In medium non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat, cook egg product, stirring occasionally until set. Divide egg mixture evenly between tortillas; top with cheese and salsa. Fold up tortillas over filling like an envelope. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings

PER SERVING: CALORIES 192 FAT 2g SATURATED FAT 1g SODIUM 640mg CARBOHYDRATE 24g PROTEIN 15g CHOLESTEROL 3mg FIBER 1.0g

My calorie content was higher because my tortillas were 110 calories each.